Form a Student Chapter or Club

Forming a Student Chapter is easy! All the information you need to form a Chapter is in the SPIE Student Chapter Packet (350KB PDF). A template (Word Document or PDF) for the petition and constitution is also provided.

These are the steps:

Student should seek out an SPIE member who will serve as the Student Chapter Faculty Advisor. Search the online member directory to find current faculty members at your school or email students@spie.org.

Submit a petition signed by a minimum of 10 (paying) SPIE Student Members, or applicants for membership. The petition must include:

Name and department of the intended Faculty Advisor

Signature of advisor (digital copies of signatures are acceptable)

Signature of Department Head where most of Chapter's students are enrolled

A letter approving the SPIE Student Chapter as an official campus organization must be sent to SPIE from the Student Association or appropriate office of the institution.

Submit a Constitution and Bylaws using the template provided. Sections in bold may not be altered.

Submit a school catalog or other documentation outlining accreditation, optics course curriculum, and a list of faculty.

Send the completed package for approval by the SPIE Board of Directors or Executive Committee at one of their quarterly (January, April, August, October) meetings. Either electronic or paper copies are acceptable.